Zero Hour
by Benjamin J Brown
Summary: AU. Sequel to "Attack of the Sontarans". The Doctor and Amy arrive in 1539 England and are shocked to find history altered in a terrible way. Is this the day the Doctor falls? I don't claim to own Doctor Who or related articles.
1. Welcome to My Dominion

The Doctor looked completely focused as he danced around the TARDIS console, pulling levers and flipping switches. He had barely said a word since he'd told her where the distress signal was coming from. There was a shuddering as the TARDIS landed and the engines stopped roaring as the central column ceased moving.

The Doctor moved to the chair with his jacket, putting it on and slipping his sonic screwdriver in the inside pocket. He darted to the TARDIS doors and opened them, stepping outside. Amy walked after him, not bothering to try catching up as quickly as she normally did.

When she finally did catch up to him, he was on top of a hill overlooking what appeared to be a medieval castle. She walked up behind him.

"This looks normal enough." She said "Are you sure this is where the Master is?"

"Positive." He replied "I can feel it."

"You can feel it?" She said "You're not going to go into some _Star Wars_ style thing about life forces and all that, are you?"

"No. Well, not exactly." He said "I'm a Time Lord, Amy. We always know when there's another one around. Trust me, he's here somewhere. I'll know where as soon as I see him."

"Well no duh." Amy replied "We do know what he looks like, remember?"

"Yes, and that worries me." He said "Because if we know who he is, well, I don't need to tell you that he knows who we are. Now, where is he?"

He looked around for a moment before pointing at a large fountain in the courtyard of the castle below.

"Amy, have you ever known castles from this period to have fountains?" He said, not waiting for a response before running off down the hill, calling back "Come along Pond."

He led her down the hill and into the castles courtyard. He walked up to a thin man in dirty, torn up clothing.

"Excuse me my good man." The Doctor said, pointing at the fountain "How long has that been here?"

"All my life sir." The man said "That's, uh, a long time sir."

"What year were you born?" The Doctor said "I can figure it out. I'm good with numbers."

"1522." The man said, shocking Amy slightly.

He was only 17. 17 and living like that. It was disgusting.

"Okay then, thanks. Here's an apple for your help." The Doctor said, pulling an apple from his pocket and handing it to the man, then walking off with Amy right behind him.

"Doctor, why is he being left to live like that?" She said as they walked "It's just-"

"History." He cut her off "Amy, you think I don't want to help people I see like that? I do, but I can't. At this time, this is just how the world is. Could I change that? Maybe, but I don't have the right to. If I said I did, I'd be no better than the Master."

"So, what's with the fascination with the fountain?" Amy said "It's just a fountain, right?"

"No. I think, I don't know, but I _think_ that it's his TARDIS." He replied, seeing the confused look on her face "They don't all look like blue police boxes, you know. Hell, that one didn't always. They're designed to blend in, but it got stuck on that look years ago and, well, I like it."

"Right, so you think it's his TARDIS." She said "So, is he in there?"

"No." He said "If he were, I wouldn't be able to feel that he's here. Type 117 TARDIS, stealth stuff, remember?"

"Yeah, right." Amy said "So, where we going to look?"

"I think the royal court's the best bet. Besides, never met Henry VIII before. This is going to be interesting." He replied, smirking "Come on Amy."

She followed him into the main structure of the castle. There, they were met by two guards.

"His highness desires your presence." One said.

"Oh, well, that's lucky, isn't it?" The Doctor said "I was hoping to see him. Come along Pond, they're going to take us to exactly who we want to see. Well, almost exactly."

The soldiers led the Doctor and Amy through the building. Eventually, they were led into a throne room. Amy gasped slightly when she saw who was on the throne.

"You may leave." The Master said "Hello, Doctor, and welcome to my Dominion."


	2. Army of Nightmares

"Why are you here?" The Doctor said to the Master "No, better question, why are you on the throne?"

"I'm the king." The Master replied "Natural step up really. First prime minister, now king, and you just wait until you hear where I plan to be."

"Where's that then?" The Doctor said "We both know you want to tell me."

"Oh yes, one of our little sessions where we sit down, have tea, I tell you all my plans and you figure out how to stop me. I do enjoy those, you know." The Master said "I think we'll give it a miss."

"Shame, I do enjoy that." The Doctor said "At least give me a hint."

"Very well." The Master said "There's nothing you can do to stop me now, Doctor. I have my army of your nightmares and we will change the fate of the universe. Forever."

_Army of nightmares._ Amy had heard the phrase before. She could tell by the look on the Doctor's face he had too, so it had to have been recent. He looked … scared.

"Fine, you've got your army, you're going to change everything, but let Amy go, she's nothing to do with this." The Doctor said "It's me you want, leave her out of this."

"You haven't even met the army." The Master said, gesturing to the door behind them "Let's start with my secret weapons. I believe you know them."

As he said that, they turned around. The doors slowly opened to reveal what his secret weapons were. Two bronze and gold, one black and silver. The eye on the end of the stalk was glowing it's eerie blue hue.

"You are the Doctor." The black Dalek said "You will be exterminated. Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!"

"Wait!" The Master said "He is to be witness to the fruits of our plans. Then you can do what you want with him. Until then, he could be useful."

"That is acceptable." The Dalek said "The Doctor will be necessary."

"Will I now?" The Doctor replied coldly "Well, until I know Amy is safe, I'm not doing anything. You make sure she's safe, then we'll talk. Before that, no way."

"Doctor." Amy said "He's got Daleks. Maybe it'd be better to let him keep his control this time."

"You think I only have Daleks?" The Master said "Miss. Pond, you're obviously not as intelligent as I had believed. I have more than just Daleks."

As he said that, he pressed a control on the side of his throne. A number of metallic humanoid creatures were teleported into the room. Cybermen.

"This is your army?" The Doctor said "Daleks and Cybermen?"

"This is just a sample of them, but they make it up, yes." The Master said, looking at one of the Cybermen who had black handles on top of his head instead of the usual silver "If you would please deal with Miss. Pond. As discussed."

"I will comply." The Cyberman said, raising it's left arm, a small blaster coming out of it, then shooting Amy.

The Doctor caught her before she fell, looking at her then the Cyberman.

"You killed her?" He said "Why?"

"She is not deleted." The Cyberman said.

"But you shot her." The Doctor said, before working it out and looking at the Master "As discussed. You didn't want her dead. Now, what I want to know is why?"

"We monitored time lines." The Master said "They seem to be converging on Miss. Pond and yourself. I couldn't risk killing her until I know why."

"That's why you need me." The Doctor said "Not to help with some plan, but to help you figure out why the timelines all converge on me and Amy."

"Just her." The Master said "When I'm finished, you will not be needed in _my_ universe."

"And you got the Daleks and Cybermen to go along with this?" The Doctor said "What did you promise them in return?"

"The Daleks demands were simple; you." The Master said "As for the Cybermen, well, Earth is teeming with life forms ready for them to convert."

"So that's it, sell the universe to them so you get your dominion?" The Doctor said "I knew you were stupid, but this is a new level! You can't trust the Cybermen or the Daleks!"

"Take them away." The Master said "We'll deal with them later."

As the Doctor was dragged out by a pair of Cybermen, he struggled for a moment against the cybernetics before giving up. He'd figure out a way out, but first, he'd need to wait until Amy had come too and gotten to safety. He wasn't letting her go up against the Master, much less the Master with an army of Daleks and Cybermen.


	3. I will become Time's King

The Doctor sat in the cell he and Amy had been tossed in. He'd been wondering why the Master hadn't taken his screwdriver. The only reason he hadn't used it to break out had been Amy's unconscious state. She'd been drifting in and out of consciousness since the Cyberman had shot her. He'd never been aware the Cybermen's weapons were capable of knocking people out as opposed to killing them, but it made sense since the Cybermen had their mandate to 'upgrade' everything. Most species were stronger than Humans though. He had no idea what it was doing to her under the surface.

He looked over at her. She was tossing and turning. A moment later, her eyes opened. She looked at him and smiled weakly.

"Doctor…" She said "What did I miss?"

"Nothing." He said, returning the smile "Listen, Amy, I'm so sorry this is happening to you, but I promise, it'll be fine. You'll be fine. I'm going to get you out of here. Even if it kills me."

She smiled for a moment before passing out again. He put a hand on her forehead. She was running a fever, same as she had been since they'd been in the cell. As he moved his hand away, he heard a mechanical noise from outside the cell. He looked around to see a Dalek outside the cell.

"The Doctor will come with me." It said.

"Oh, will the Doctor now?" The Doctor replied snidely "Why would I do that now?"

"If you do not, your companion will be exterminated!" It said, directing its gun at Amy "The decision is yours. Help us or watch your friend die!"

"Okay, fine!" He said, moving to the cell door "Well, let me out then."

The Dalek positioned its sucker appendage over the lock. There was clicking sound from the lock and the door slid open. The Doctor stepped up and looked down, directly at the Dalek's eyestalk.

"Well then, lead on." He sneered "If you're not afraid to turn your back on me."

He wasn't sure what was bringing on this outburst. Well, he was. Amy, the closest thing he had to a best friend, was dying because of him and he was being made to watch. At the rate they were going, what Hartigan had said would be right. One of them would die.

The Dalek led him down the corridor and to a set of double doors. It turned to face him.

"The Doctor will enter the lab." It said.

"Will I? That's nice then, isn't it." He replied, smirking.

"The Doctor will enter the lab." It said again.

"Oh really?" He said "Well, why am I still here?"

"The Doctor will enter the lab!" It said for a third time, this time screeching.

"See, that right there is what I wanted!" He said, laughing "You Daleks, you're all the same. You're nothing! I've destroyed you before and I promise you, I will again."

With that, he walked straight past the Dalek and into the lab. He didn't even look at the Master as he went to one of the consoles that had been set up at the side of the room and began working. The Master looked at him for a moment then chuckled to himself.

"Something funny?" The Doctor said coldly, not even looking up.

"You." The Master replied "You always did throw yourself into whatever it was you had to work on when you were stressed."

"It helps when I'm being forced to do it." The Doctor said, his tone unchanged as he continued looking at the screen.

The Master sighed then moved over to him, grabbing his shoulder and spinning him round so they were face to face.

"You know, if there was any other way to do this, I'd take it." The Master said "I'd like to think that we'd still be friends, had our goals been more… compatible."

"Koschei, we both know you're telling half truths there." The Doctor said coolly "If you wanted to find another way, you would've done, and we both know it. So, now, if you ever valued the time where we were friends, tell me the whole plan. No lies, no omissions, no half truths. Everything."

"Very well." The Master said "I shall be crowning myself the king of time, and you're going to help me, Doctor."

"How am I going to do that?" The Doctor said, curious now.

"Simply put Doctor, I don't know yet." The Master said "I just know that since the timelines converge on you, it will be you who helps me."

"And if I refuse?" The Doctor said, already knowing the answer.

"Then I give you to the Daleks now." The Master replied with a grin "I'm sure they'd _kill_ for the opportunity."

"I'm sorry Master." The Doctor said, reaching into his pocket and removing his sonic screwdriver, pointing it at the console and clicking the button, causing the console to spark "But I have to stop you."

"I had hoped that I wouldn't have to do this, but I have to revoke your screwdriver, Doctor." The Master said, reaching into his own pocket and removing a bulkier cylindrical device with three small lights at the end, pointing it at the Doctor's screwdriver and clicking the button, causing the lights to extend and a beam to fire from one of them at the Doctor's hand, causing him to drop it "Laser screwdriver. Who'd have sonic?"


	4. The Doctor's Defeat

"Okay then." The Doctor said, looking at the Master "How is it I'm going to help you become, what was it, 'time's king'?"

"Well, that's the big question." The Master said, lowering his screwdriver from its position pointing at the Doctor and putting it in his pocket "I'll leave it to you to work it out."

"No, you're going to tell me." The Doctor said coldly "What is it you're planning?"

"You'll find out soon enough." The Master replied coolly as he picked up the sonic screwdriver and tossed it to the Doctor "Now, go back to your cell, and don't try to escape. The Daleks are looking for an excuse to kill you as soon as they can."

"Fine." The Doctor said as he walked out "But you know that whatever you're planning, I'll have to stop you?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way." The Master replied, smirking slightly "Good night, Doctor."

The Doctor walked out of the lab, seeing the Dalek still outside, now talking to the black and silver Dalek. They fell silent as soon as he stepped out of the lab.

"Please, don't stop on my account." The Doctor said with a grin "Not like I can do anything to stop you right now anyway."

"The Doctor will cease communication!" The black Dalek said.

"We both know I won't, you should know that from before." The Doctor replied "Unless, oh, brilliant. He got you from before we last met. _That's_ why you recognised me before."

"The Doctor will cease communication!" The Dalek repeated.

"Oh, fine." The Doctor said, turning and walking off towards his cell "No need to escort me, I can find my own way thanks."

He knew the Daleks wouldn't take that as an answer and sure enough, a pair of Daleks followed him down the corridor. Once he was inside the cell, the Daleks locked him in. He turned to see Amy sat in the corner.

"Well, you look better." He said with a grin.

"Yeah, well, you know us Scots, can't keep us down." She said, returning the grin but wincing, putting her hand up in front of her "It's fine, just a headache."

"A headache?" He said "From a Cyberman's weapon? Oh Amy, I'm sorry."

"For what?" She said "What's happening?"

"The blast's having side effects, causing a neural cascade." He said sadly "You've got about twelve hours before you burn, and it's my fault."

"I'm dying?" She said, before realising how guilty he seemed to be feeling "Doctor, it's not your fault, I chose to come with you. I'm just glad I got to see all the things I did."

"Amy, I'm going to save you." He said "I promise you, right now, I'm going to save you."

As he said that, the Master came up to the outside of the cell, opening the doors. He looked at Amy then at the Doctor. He grinned at the Doctor.

"It's time." The Master said "Time for my plan to go into motion. Follow me. You too, Miss Pond."

The Doctor and Amy followed the Master through the corridors and out into the courtyard. He walked up to the fountain and stood in front of it, apparently ready to address his subjects.

"My people." He said "Today is a great day. Today is the day I assume rule over the entirety of time itself. You may be asking yourselves how. Allow me to introduce the key to it. Doctor, step forward."

The Doctor wasn't going to move, but a Cyberman grabbed him by the arm and dragged him forward before tossing him to the dirt in front of the Master.

"Doctor, of all the adversaries I have faced, you have always been my equal. No longer is that true." The Master said with a sinister grin "Step up onto the platform in the centre of the fountain."

"No thanks, don't want to get my suit wet." The Doctor said, before seeing a Dalek point it's gun at Amy and complying "Fine, I'm on the platform, now let her go!"

"Not yet." The Master said "She's going to witness my ultimate victory over you."

He pulled out his laser screwdriver and pointed it at the fountain, pressing the button and causing a sound to come from the fountain as it began to glow.

"Tell me Doctor, what did you think the fountain was?" He said "I'll tell you now that it's _not_ for decoration."

"No, and I can guess now it's not your TARDIS like I'd assumed." The Doctor said "So what is it?"

"It's a time engine, Doctor." The Master said "It'll do what no one else has done; defeat you. Do you want to know how?"

"Surprise me." The Doctor said, rolling his eyes.

"It will erase you from all of time itself." The Master said "Good bye, Doctor."

As he said that, he pressed the button again. The Doctor slowly began to fade away until he wasn't there. The Doctor was gone. He'd been wiped from time.


	5. Here we go again

Ay stood there speechless for a second. The Doctor was gone. There was no way for her to get home. She'd die there, in 1539. She wished it was something that couldn't work, something to do with her not being born for nearly 500 years.

"How does it feel, Miss Pond?" The Master said "Knowing your hero never existed?"

"He existed…" Amy said "If I'm here, he has to have existed. I couldn't be here otherwise,"

"Oh, you could." The Master said "It's just a paradox. And now, with no other Time Lords in existence, I am the king of time!"

"He's still alive…" Amy said "He's got to be…"

"You're wishing for a fairy tale ending." The Master said "In real life, in the end, the villain always wins."

"You're wrong, he'll come back…" Amy said "He'll come back."

"No he won't." The Master sneered, before turning to the Dalek behind Amy "Take her back to her cell."

The Dalek led her away. She didn't notice the faint glow still on the fountain.

…

Amy woke up in her cell in a cold sweat. She'd had a dream. There'd been a voice in it, the voice of a young man. It had been coming from a figure on a ridge. He'd been wearing a red early eighteenth century jacket with gold trim, black trousers and red converse. She'd walked up to the top of the ridge and looked at the man; it had been the Doctor. Only he was talking with a different voice, a slightly younger one.

She got up and saw the cell door was open and the Master was stood outside. He grabbed her and dragged her out into the fountain, tossing her to the floor and pulling out his screwdriver.

"I'm sorry, Miss Pond." He said "But I know why they all converge on you. As long as you're here, he can come back."

"What?" Amy said, confused.

"Good bye." The Master said as he moved his thumb over the button.

Before he could fire, however, he saw the fountain start to glow. There was a bright light on it. He turned to face it as a figure appeared.

It was a man in the Doctor's clothes he'd been wearing when he'd been erased. Only the man wasn't the Doctor; he had long white hair. The Master recognised him though.

As the Master watched, the man's features changed to that of a slightly younger man with a brown bowl cut, then another man of the same age, with white curly hair. That man was replaced with a younger man with curly brown hair then an even younger man with straighter, blonde hair, then to an older one with curly blonde hair. That man was replaced by a slightly older one with brown hair, to the slightly younger man with long blonde hair. He stood there for a moment before becoming a slightly older man with short dark hair, apparently the first of the men the Master didn't recognise. Then Amy realised who it was with the next shift; the man became the Doctor that her and _her_ Doctor had met in Nevada. He grinned at the Master.

"Hello." He said as he finally became her Doctor, the _proper_ Doctor "Did you miss me?"

"No!" The Master said, turning to Amy and shooting her with his screwdriver.

"Big mistake!" The Doctor said, pulling out the sonic screwdriver and using it, causing the Master's screwdriver to spark as the Doctor stepped off the platform "Next, let's destroy this time engine."

He pointed his screwdriver at it and flicked the button, causing the device to spark and then implode on itself, leaving just ash on the ground. As that happened, there was the sound of thunder all around them.

"I'm sorry, Master." The Doctor said "But everything you've done, everything you brought here, is being sent back to where it belongs."

As he said that, everything around them began to change as all that the Master had done was erased. The Doctor looked at him.

"Now go." He said "I'll let you go, this time. There's been enough cold blood today."

The Master ran off and the Doctor turned to Amy. He crouched beside her, moving a stray hair from her face. He sighed to himself.

_To stop him and his army of nightmares, one of you must die._

_I'm going to get you out of here, even if it kills me._

Both things rattled around in his head. He knew what he had to do. He bent down and kissed her before pulling away. Her eyes opened slowly and she looked up at him.

"What happened?" She said, before realising he was there and throwing her arms around him "Oh my god, you're back, you're alive."

"Yeah." He said hollowly "I'm alive."

He helped her up before staggering slightly. He smiled at her, but his eyes looked empty. Just like her father had looked right before he'd died.

"Doctor, what's wrong?" She said.

"You died, Amy, so I gave up my life to bring you back." He said, grinning lightly "Not a bad way to go I guess."

She went to come to him and he put an arm out in front of him.

"No, don't worry about me, just help me get to the TARDIS." He said, seeing the look on her face as tears welled in her eyes "Now, now, Pond, don't cry, not over me."

She swallowed her tears for the moment then grabbed his arm and led him to the TARDIS, opening the doors, helping him get inside. He grinned as he moved away from her.

"Amy Pond," He said with a grin "good bye."

As he said that, his arms jerked off to his sides and a bright orange energy shot out from the ends of his arms and around his head. Underneath it, she could see his features changing and his hair getting shorter and lighter. After a moment, the energy dissipated and a new man was stood there.

He looked slightly younger, 21 at the most. He had short, spiked dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. He was better looking than the Doctor from before. He smiled at her lightly.

"Right, yes, uh, hello." He said "Now, Amelia, contrary to what you're thinking right now, I'm the Doctor."


End file.
